Filshill and KeyStore retailers raise awareness of GroceryAid

JW Filshill and its KeyStore retailers are raising awareness of the charity GroceryAid.

Filshill’s health & safety manager Amanda Casey with colleagues on GroceryAid Day.

“In the last two years, at Filshill we have repositioned the business to put mental health and wellbeing at the heart of everything,” said health & safety manager Amanda Casey.

“We are delighted to work with GroceryAid to strengthen what we are doing to support our staff by getting the message across that both Filshill and GroceryAid are there for our customers too.

“GroceryAid is an amazing charity but many independent retailers aren’t aware that it is there to help them and their staff – we want to collaborate with the charity to really raise awareness of its critical work.”

Many KeyStore retailers are now promoting the charity’s services in staff rooms by displaying posters and the 24/7 helpline number: 08088 021 122.

At Filshill, Casey is ensuring that all employees are aware of GroceryAid. “Our drivers, for example, because of the nature of their job, are not always around during office hours so they can’t always have that quiet, confidential chat with someone so easily. So we had a think about how we could engage with them and for GroceryAid Day, we gave keyrings featuring the free 24/7 helpline number to all our drivers.”

That such a simple tool can help an individual was quickly confirmed when a staff member revealed to Casey that he had been struggling with an issue for some time and called the helpline as a result of seeing it on his keyring.

“This is exactly what GroceryAid is about,” she commented. “I also know that another two colleagues received support after calling the helpline. In fact, 37% of our staff have used GroceryAid’s services at one point and many have told us they had previously been unaware of the charity and that they could benefit from it.”

Jim Harper, GroceryAid Scotland’s joint chair, added: “In the last few years we’ve been working really hard to raise awareness of the charity in Scotland and we’ve effectively reinvented GroceryAid here with the support of retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.

“The multiples have traditionally driven GroceryAid both north and south of the Border and I think that has, at times, given the impression that it is not a charity for independent retailers. There has also been a feeling that it is there to support those who have retired or have had to leave their jobs, and they have fallen on hard times. However, this is not the case – GroceryAid is for everyone in the industry – and in the last few years there has been a shift towards supporting people currently in the workplace. That is the message we want to get across to the industry in Scotland.”